Author Topic: Modeling the Macabre (Read 4718 times)

Story · « **on:** January 16, 2021, 05:46:20 AM »

When I was a kid, I found inspiration in a local department store's annual Halloween-to-Christmas HO train setup. It was a (relatively) huge setup behind a plexiglass sneeze and fingers shield, but what fascinated me was the Haunted House.

It was sited on a hill significantly higher than the surrounding terrain and settled next to a graveyard (of course). I couldn't tell *what* the original kit was (other than they probably had it on the shelves for sale), but this Polar Lights BATES MOTEL gives you the jist (https://www.scalemodelnews.com/2013/03/small-scale-horror-from-polar-lights.html).

Whoever built it had a sense of humor, since the grounds and windows where filled with all sorts of Easter Egg details barely visible from the edge of the display.

Since then, I've tripped across similar inspirations.

Like Kris Kuksi's works, from his framed creations to his CHURCH TANK http://www.kuksi.com/

Then there's the Chapman Brothers' Hellscapes.
https://www.wired.com/2014/01/chapman-hellscapes/

https://jakeanddinoschapman.com/

Any other inspirations lurking out there?

Frank3k · « **Reply #1 on:** January 16, 2021, 08:50:32 AM »

My favorite horror/science fiction/fantasy book (and I hate fantasy...) is "The Night Land" by William Hope Hodgson. He was an inspiration for H.P. Lovecraft. Unfortunately, Hodgson went out of his way to make the book appear as if it had been written in an archaic English and style from the 1600s-1700s, which makes it a slog to read. James Stoddard rewrote the book in modern English and it's far more readable and memorable: "The Night Land, A Story Retold"

Some people have done a great job of drawing some of the creatures and places in the book, and they've been remarkably consistent (and close to what I imagined):

Google image search

Some examples:

More at Night Land website

Jeffry Fontaine · « **Reply #2 on:** January 16, 2021, 12:27:11 PM »

I thought at first the artist was the same one responsible for the opening scene artwork from Starz Television Series 'Black Sails' (2014–2017) .

Story · « **Reply #3 on:** June 09, 2021, 03:34:54 PM »

Quote

Abigail Goldman highlighting a selection of her miniature murder scenes. Created at a scale of 1:87, Goldman's die-o-ramas present intricately gruesome crime scenes and violent acts. Having worked many years as a reporter and investigator for the Federal Public Defender in Las Vegas, Goldman draws on her work experience to create pieces that put an interesting spin on society’s fascination with crime.

https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/sculpture/abigail-goldman-brings-her-die-o-ramas-to-station-16-gallery/

https://www.abigailgoldman.com/

Quote

New York based artist Thomas Doyle invites us to look into another world with his humorous, and often times dark dioramas. his small-scale sculptures of houses and suburban towns provide an unexpected perspective of domestic life.

https://hifructose.com/2016/01/11/thomas-doyle-presents-new-dioramas-in-if-the-creek-dont-rise/

https://www.thomasdoyle.net/

Oof
https://www.thomasdoyle.net/hypothermia3/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Proxy_PottersBend_1.jpg

https://arrestedmotion.com/2016/02/upcoming-thomas-doyle-if-the-creek-dont-rise-hudson-river-museum/

elmayerle · « **Reply #4 on:** June 10, 2021, 11:25:09 AM »

Not exactly macabre, but the model railroad layout in the basement of the railroad museum in San Diego's Balboa Park complex has a shark in a swimming pool as a bit of an easter egg.

Frank3k · « **Reply #5 on:** June 10, 2021, 11:42:25 AM »

Some of the work on those sites is not very different from what we have around here... so are we all artists?

Story · « **Reply #6 on:** June 11, 2021, 12:56:50 AM »

Quote from: elmayerle on June 10, 2021, 11:25:09 AM

Not exactly macabre, but the model railroad layout in the basement of the railroad museum in San Diego's Balboa Park complex has a shark in a swimming pool as a bit of an easter egg.

That's macabre all right, just subtle.

You want a good shark-in-the-pool story, see P.3.c3&4 of this publication
https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00031661/01987/3j

Quote from: Frank3k on June 10, 2021, 11:42:25 AM

Some of the work on those sites is not very different from what we have around here... so are we all artists?

Fancier if you put an 'e' on the end of it.

Old Wombat · « **Reply #7 on:** June 11, 2021, 12:59:57 AM »

Yep, sounds like us.

Story · « **Reply #8 on:** June 11, 2021, 01:01:19 AM »

Quote from: Old Wombat on June 11, 2021, 12:59:57 AM

Yep, sounds like us.

You mean like getting all those kits & projects finished?

GTX_Admin · « **Reply #9 on:** June 11, 2021, 02:27:04 AM »

You had to mention the elephant in the room...

Story · « **Reply #10 on:** July 24, 2021, 02:39:07 AM »

So 'the Junkyard' made it's way home.

This was an effort from ten years back to use up all the scrap from my 1/72nd scale aircraft builds as a forced perspective centerpiece on a friend's O Gauge model railroad. Since he's getting rid of his collection, I've reeled it back in to retool as a HO (1/87th) German junkyard.

Originally just stacking bits and pieces on a small sheet of scrap lexan; with white glue, bits of aluminum foil and flocking. Shortcomings (like visible seams) are obvious, but consider the size of the originally intended platform no observer would have been close enough to whine about that. Since I suspect eyeballs will be closer for this go-around, I'm going to get artsy-fartsy.

I've slipped in a Sherman hulk and will probably add some viney vegetation, maybe even a perimeter fence from wire mesh to duplicate chain link. Ultimately, I'd like it to have a Stalenhag vibe.
https://www.cnn.com/style/article/simon-stalenhag-sci-fi-art/index.html

Inspiration originally from this place https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/19902
...and tanks do show up in European junkyards http://www.ww2incolor.com/modern/junkyard+panther.html

Story · « **Reply #11 on:** July 24, 2021, 02:45:27 AM »

Parallel project, fuel station ruins.

Inspiration is this abandoned station in Hunsrück, Germany.

See also https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/000/862/351/large/oscar-sjostedt-glasskiosk.jpg?1434806703

Frank3k · « **Reply #12 on:** July 24, 2021, 09:23:50 AM »

Gas stations in Ludlow (in the Mojave) turn around for some abandoned buildings.

My wife went into that house on a trip - I wasn't brave enough/know about rotting wood and snakes hiding out in the cool shade under a house.

Also, Roy's Cafe in Amboy, a few miles East of Ludlow